SLHS Indoor Track Athletes Earn State Honors

Senior Daniel Johnsen earned all-state honors in one individual event and two relays for South Lakes High School at the Virginia High School League 6A Indoor Track and Field Championships Feb. 27-March 1 at the Boo Williams Sportsplex in Hampton.

The girls team finished 12th; the boys were 10th out of 52 schools represented.

Johnsen ran a personal best time of 1:06.33 to finish third in the 500 meters. He teamed with seniors Michael Kerr, Khayri Denny and Luis Rivas for the fourth in the 4×400 meter relay (3:28.23). Johnsen, Kerr, Rivas and junior Andrew McCool ran 8:06.12 for sixth in the 4×800 meter relay.

Both Denny and senior Danielle Hale finished third in their respective divisions of the long jump. Denny had a jump of 22-03.00 while Hale jumped 17-08.25.

Junior Delaney Wickman had a personal best time of 1:16.65 in the 500 meters for sixth. She teamed with senior Grace Gillen, junior Claire Nieusma and sophomore Golden Kumi-Darfour for a season-best time of 4:00.36 and fourth-place in the 4×400 meter relay.

The girls 4×800 team of sophomores Kumi-Darfour, Monica Lannen, and seniors Gillen and Abby Reinhold ran a school-record 9:34.74 for seventh place. The previous mark of 9:39.48 was set in February 2013.

Other performances at the state meet:

• Girls triple jump: Hale, 36-03.00 (8th); junior Comfort Reed, 35-11.50 (9th)
• Girls 55 meter hurdles: freshman Devyn Jones, 8.77 (personal best, 9th)
• Boys 55 meters: Denny, 6.77 (13th)
• Girls 500 meters: Kumi-Darfour, 1:17.79 (9th)
• Boys 4×200 meter relay: seniors Ben O’Connor, Marcus Harrell, Denny and junior Sam Arpee, 1:35.08 (10th)

— Submitted by Valerie Lister